The bustling of the Green Land and the Jade Platform gradually faded, and Yu Yao and Ye Ming finally let out a breath of relief.
She gazed at the clouds and reflections in the sky, thinking about today's events, and wrinkled her brow, saying to Ye Ming, "Ye Ming, although this Yunlan Immortal was here to represent the Heavenly Emperor to congratulate us, I always feel like there might be other motives behind him."
Ye Ming gently caressed her hair, his eyes deep: "Humph, the old cunning fox of Heavenly Emperor has always been suspicious. Sending Yunlan to come must be to test our attitude. But it's okay. As long as they don't come to trouble us, I won't initiate any trouble either."
He thought of something and asked, "By the way, Yao'er, are you really willing to resign from your position as the Flower Godess in the Flower Realm?"
Yu Yao slightly lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before saying, "Ye Ming, I truly want to resign from my position as the Flower Goddess. With our child, I just want to be able to safely stay here in Green Land and Jade Platform, accompany you all, and live a quiet life. The matters of the Flower Realm are complicated and troublesome. I have no more heart to manage them. Moreover, there must be someone else in this world who is better suited for the position of the Flower Goddess."
Ye Ming nodded slightly, his eyes full of tenderness and understanding: "Yao'er, since you have already made up your mind, I will certainly support you."
As for who will be the next Flower Goddess after Yao'er resigns from her position, he doesn't care; that is something the Heavenly Emperor should worry about.
Heavenly Jade Palace.
Yunlan Immortal stood respectfully in front of the Heavenly Emperor, reporting in detail everything he saw and heard at the Green Land and Jade Platform.
"My Lord, during my visit to the Green Land and Jade Platform, Nightmeng the evil god and Yu Ji the immortal maiden made their stance clear. They only wish to retreat to the Green Land and Jade Platform, settle down to nurture their pregnancy, and after their child is born, Yu Ji will resign from her position as the Flower Goddess. Nightmeng also explicitly stated that as long as we do not provoke him, he will not cause trouble in the Heavenly Realm."
Yunlan Immortal slightly lowered her head, and her words were clear.
The Heavenly Emperor sat on his throne, slightly frowning.
After pondering for a moment, he said, "Nightmeng is an evil god, and he is also a bit boastful, but there is some truth in what he says. However, with Yu Ji the immortal maiden stepping down as the Flower Goddess, we cannot leave the Flower Realm without someone to manage it. Do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?"
Yunlan Immortal paused for a moment and replied, "My Lord, I dare not speak lightly about the matters of the Flower Realm. However, we can select an eligible individual from among the Flower Realm's immortals, conduct an examination, and then decide on the position of the Flower Goddess."
The Heavenly Emperor nodded slightly, "You go ahead and arrange this matter, making sure to select a suitable candidate. Additionally, keep a close eye on the developments at the Green Land and Jade Platform. If there is any abnormality, report it immediately."
"Your servant is willing." Yunlan Immortal answered.
Afterwards, Yunlan Immortal withdrew and began to make arrangements for the selection of a successor to the position of Flower Goddess.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Emperor sat on his throne, his mind brimming with thoughts.
Then he thought of Zhu Yuancun, who had been ordered to meditate, and summoned one of his attendants.
He looked thoughtful, asking, "How is Zhu Yuancun the God of Meditation after his self-reflection and penance?"
The attendant stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and replied, "Your Majesty, since Zhu Yuancun the Immortal began his meditation and self-reflection, there has been no news from him. However, recently there seems to be something unusual. According to the young immortal who cleans the Cloud Yuan Palace, Master Zhu has not been confined to the secret room for meditation the whole time; he occasionally comes out for a walk but does not leave the Cloud Yuan Palace. Sometimes he stares at some place blankly or stands alone in one place for half a day at a time, appearing distracted and as if his mind is troubled."
"Distracted and troubled? Can you guess the reason?"
The Heavenly Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, fearing that it might not be for the mortal woman Jiang Wanrou, but for the news of Yu Ji the immortal maiden and Nightmeng the evil god.
The attendant hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the young immortal isn't very clear about it either. Only after hearing that on the day when several immortals from the Cloud Yuan Palace were sweeping the courtyard and talking about the affair of Yu Ji the immortal maiden, Master Zhu has not come out again."
The Heavenly Emperor sighed softly and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, you can continue to monitor the situation of Zhu Yuancun the God of Meditation. If there are any changes, report it immediately."
The attendant received the order and withdrew.
In the Cloud Yuan Palace, the heavy stone door shut out all the hustle and bustle of the outside world, but it could not keep out the surging thoughts within Chu Yuancun's mind.
Within the enclosed room, a faint ray of light penetrated through the window lattice, landing on his furrowed brow, making it look even more serious.
"Yu Ji...Nightmeng..."
Chu Yuancun murmured, and those two names cut through his heart like sharp blades, leaving deep, healing wounds.
The sounds of the little immortals' gossip echoed in his mind continuously, making it impossible for him to maintain a calm state of mind.
"Three children..."
He mumbled to himself, a mixture of emotions swirling in his heart.
At one time, he thought that his indifference and coldness towards Yu Ji were perfectly natural and necessary means to maintain the pure love in his heart.
But now, seeing her build a nest with another man and even conceive new life, Chu Yuancun suddenly felt a kind of unprecedented loss and emptiness.
He then remembered Wanrou, remembered her kneeling at the feet of an old man, her manner slutty and obsequious, striving to please.
Those scenes made him feel unfamiliar and repulsive, as well as deeply disgusted from the bottom of his heart.
Even knowing that Wanrou was helpless, he still felt repulsed.
Chu Yuancun walked slowly within the secret chamber, with his pain and remorse following him like a shadow.
His gaze fell on a painting hanging on the wall, a scene they had admired together during their time in the mortal world. Looking at it now, he only felt irony.
He lightly waved his white robe, and the painting on the wall disappeared like the wind.
Not only the painting, but everything about him and Jiang Wanrou was wiped away cleanly, leaving not a single trace.
As these traces were erased, Chu Yuancun felt a sense of relief in his heart, and it wasn't as painful and oppressive anymore.
He then realized that he didn't love Wanrou that much, but rather the longing and attachment to ordinary life.
Once upon a time, he believed that the days he spent with Wanrou were the happiness he pursued.
However, looking back now, it was just an illusion.
He hurt Yu Ji for what he thought was "love" and missed the true happiness that belonged to him.
The Green Land and Jade Platform, enveloped in mist, seemed like a fairyland.
Yu Yao was lying in a rocking chair under a peach blossom tree, her abdomen slightly rounded. She held a volume of stories collected from the mortal world, reading it with great interest.
At that moment, her mind suddenly rang with the voice of the system: "Host, your second task is completed."
She furrowed her eyebrows, a hint of confusion in her eyes: "The task is completed? The second task was supposed to make Chu Yuancun regretful and start pursuing his wife, right? But I haven't seen any actions from him. Is he not still in the Cloud Yuan Palace meditating?"
The system chuckled and explained, "Host is not aware that the task judgment is not based solely on Chu Yuancun's actions, but more on his inner transformation. According to the system monitoring, Chu Yuancun has completely let go of his attachment to Jiang Wanrou, realized his past mistakes, and this profound self-reflection and regret is the key to completing the task."
Yu Yao sneered, her expression extremely disdainful.
"Probably because Chu Yuancun saw what happened to Jiang Wanrou in the brothel, he felt disgusted and couldn't accept it, so he started thinking of my good points."
The system laughed twice, "Host guessed it right. Chu Yuancun the God of Meditation has indeed used the Mirror of the Heavens to check on Jiang Wanrou. The Jiang Wanrou has reincarnated for the second time and is still in a place like a brothel, which naturally involves techniques to please and satisfy men. Unluckily for Chu Yuancun, he just happened to see Jiang Wanrou doing some unmentionable things with an old man, which greatly disturbed him. It was beyond his endurance, so he started thinking of your good points."
Yu Yao listened to the system's words and smirked with a sarcastic smile, "Hmph, he has his day too. But what does that have to do with me? I am very happy with Nightmeng now, and everything about him has nothing to do with me anymore."
The system agreed with this statement, "Host said it right, Chu Yuancun the God of Meditation has made his choice and must bear the consequences. As for Host you, with Nightmeng's company and the baby on the way, your future is full of prospects. That scum should just stay away as far as possible."
She nodded slightly, her gaze tenderly resting on her rounded abdomen.
Since the second task has been completed, then once the child in her belly is born, all the tasks in this world will be completed.
And the wedding of her and Nightmeng, there's no need to wait until a thousand years later. They can host it whenever they want.
However, she still wanted to see Chu Yuancun's dog-like thing regretting it all to his last breath with her own eyes.
Thinking about it, she didn't rush to hold the wedding. She decided to wait until Chu Yuancun the dog thing came out of seclusion and pay him back...
